"We must also continue to go into space for the future of humanity," Hawking said. "I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet."

"The fact that we humans, who are ourselves mere collections of fundamental particles of nature, have been able to come this close to an understanding of the laws governing us and our universe is a great triumph," he added.

"So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes a universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up."